Headlight



0. WINSTON.

HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.26, 1916. RENEWED JAN. 3. 1918.

1 ,3 1 2,7 1 5 Patented Aug. 12, 1919 Fi'q/ //v ve/vral 01 6/7 00 Was/ 0,;

BY fi/S ATTORNEY? Ja M UNIT D STATES PATENT oFrucE.

OVERTON wmsron, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

HEADLIGHT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OVERTON WINSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Headlights; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to electric headlights for automobiles and is in the nature of an improvement on, or modification of the mechanism disclosed and claimed in my copending application S. N. 64,661, filed December 2nd, 1915, and entitled Headlights.

Particularly, the invention is directed to the improvement of means for shifting the electric light bulb in respect to the reflector, whereby the bulb may be adjusted, both axially of and transversely in respect to the axis of the reflector. The first noted adjustment is desirable to locatetthe lamp filament at the focal center of the reflector, and the latter noted adjustment is desirable, to throw the filament of the lamp to and from the axis of the reflector. For example, in traveling country roads, powerful light beams of long projection are desirable, while for city travel, the light beams should be projected onto the road more closely in front of the machine, so that there will be no upwardly projected blinding rays thrown into the eyes of persons in passing automobiles. The above noted adjustments also providea simple and highly eflicient way, and means whereby high power headlights may be used without running into conflict with city ordinances directed against the use of blinding headlights,

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken centrally through a headlight designed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a-detail view in rear elevation showing the lamp socket and opposing magnets and cooperating latches for moving and holding the same; and

Fig. 3 is-a view partly in vertical section and partly in diagram, illustrating the man- Specification of Letters Patent; Application filed January 26, 1916, Seria1 No. 74,341.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.. Renewed January 3, 1918. Serial No. 210,227.

ner in which the headlight may be wired or electrically connected.

The numeral 1 indicates the casing of an ordinary headlight, such'as generally used on automobiles, and the numerals 2 and 3 indicate, respectively, the reflector and lens or glass plate of the headlight. The electric light bulb 4 illustrated is of the well known Edison single base type, but, of course, other types of bulbsmay be employed. As shown, however, the bulb has an outer contact sleeve 5 connected to a battery lead 6, and has an axial boss (not shown) connected to the other battery lead 6*. Said leads 6 and 6 are connected to the opposite terminals of a battery 6", or other source of electrical energy, and a circuit closer 6, as shown, is interposed in the lead 6.

The lamp sleeve 5 is telescoped into a socalled lamp holdin collar 7 that is seated in the front end 0 the longitudinally adjustable section 8 of a so-called lamp socket made up of the said section 8 and a surrounding cylindrical shell 9.

The said lamp holding socket and means for adjusting the lamp axially, are, or may be, of vthe construction illustrated in the said prior application above identified, and 'for the further purposes of this case, it need only be stated that the axial adjustment of the socket section 8 and lamp, in respect to the socket section 9 may be accomplished by rotation of a nut 10 swiveled in the. rear end of the said section 9, and having, in its rear end, notches 11 that are adapted to be engaged by the flat inner end of a so-called screw driver, presently to be described, and

which latter, except for important details, is

like that of the said prior application.

The outer section or cylindrical shell 9 of the lam socket, at its front end, is freely surroun ed by a hollow bearing head 12 that is detachably, flanged anchoring ring 13 rigid on the back of the reflector. Furthermore, the said lamp socket is mounted for oscillatory movements in a vertical plane, and is pivotally connected at 14 to the sides of the head 12, by means of conical pointed screws, or other suitable horizontally extended laterally spaced pivotal devices. Of course, the reflector has an axial passage through which the lam socket projects to hold the bulb within t 'e reflector. I

The cylindrical 'outer shell 9 of the lamp but rigidly clamped to a socket is either made of iron, so that it will serve as an armature in cooperation with electro-magnets, or it is, as shown and preferred, provided on its rear portlon with a surrounding iron collar 15, which serves as an armature. This armature 15, at the lower portion of one side and at the upper portion of the other side, is formed with V-shaped lock detents or notches 16, for a purpose which will presently appear.

Located, one above and one belowthe armature-equipped rear end of the lamp socket, is a pair of opposing electro-magnets 17 that are rigidly supported by collars 18, of the hollow head 12. For cooperation with the armature 15 on the lamp socket, the magnets 17 are provided with pole pieces 19 which, to fit the rounded upper and lower surfaces of the said armature, are made correspondingly concave. The arrangement is such that, when the upper magnet is energized and the armature moved into contact with its pole piece, the filament of the bulb l will be on the axis of the reflector, but when the said lower magnet is energized and the armature is in engagement with the pole piece thereof, the filament of the bulb will be thrown above the axis of the reflector, as shown in Fig. l.

A small coiled spring 20 is anchored at its lower end to the lower magnet, or other fixed base of reaction, and at its upper end is attached to a pin.or finger 21 that projects rearward from the armature 15. This spring prevents or assists in preventing the lamp socket from vibrating and rattling in running over rough roads. Circuit connections are provided whereby either of the magnets 17 may be energized at will.

As shown, the said upper and lower magnets 17 are coimected in multiple with the main circuit 66, by means of shunt circuits 22 having circuit closing devices 23, such as push buttons. Both shunt circuits 22 are open and both magnets deenergized.

For cooperation with the lock notches 16 in the socket armature 15, small latches 24 are intermediately pivoted to the magnet supporting collars 18. The lower end of the lower latch 21 and the upper end of the upper latch 24 are laterally bent and serve as armatures that are subject to the outer end pole pieces of the cooperating magnets. The inner ends of the said latches are formed with wedge-shaped lock lugs for engagement with the respective notches 16. Light leaf springs 26, shown as applied on the magnetspools, act on the outer ends of the latches and yieldingly force the lock lugs 25 against the flat side faces of the armature 15 or into engagement with the cooperating notch 16. When the lamp socket is moved upward on its pivot 14, so as to set th lamp filament at the axis of the reflector. the lock lug 25 of the lower latch will engage the the reflector.

lower notch 16 and lock the said socket and lamp in such position. lVhen, however, the lamp socket is dropped, as shown in Fig. 1, the lock 1H0 25 of the upper lever will engage the upper notch 16, and thereby lock the lamp socket in its lowered position and the lamp bulb with its filament raised above the axis of the reflector.

By pressing one or the other of the push buttons 23, either of the magnets 17 may be energized at will. Assume, for illustration that the lamp socket is in its lower position and that the lamp bulb is raised, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and that the upper magnet is then energized, by pressing the cooperating push button 23. The said upper magnet operating on the armature 15 will raise the lamp socket until it strikes the pole piece 19, in which position the filament of the bulb will be moved to the axis of the reflector; but the first effect of energizing the said upper magnet was to cause it to release the upper latch 24, so that the above noted movement of the lamp socket could take place. It is, therefore, evident that the one latch, or the other will positively hold the lamp socket in the position into which it has been moved by energizing but one of the magnets, so that it is not necessary to energize either magnet for more than an instant in order to effect the desired adjustment of the lamp.

The purpose of making the notches 16 and lock lugs 25 V-shaped or tapered, is to cause them to take up play and to always ac curately position the lamp socket. It will, of course, be understood that, in practice, the circuit closers 6 and 23 may be conveniently located on the instrument board of the automobile.

\Vhen the lamp socket is in its raised position, its axis will, of course, be coincident with the axis of the reflector; and in such position, its notched head or nut 10 is adapted to be engaged by a fiat inner end or blade of a small so-called screw driver 27 that is mounted to rotate and to move axially in a bearing sleeve 28 secured to the back'of the casing 1 in line with the axis of In its outer end, this screw driver 27 has a knurled head 29 that is adapted to be engaged by a spring finger 30 secured to the sleeve 28. This spring finger 30 holds the screw driver frictionally against accidental rotary and axial movements, but permits such movements to be given to said screw driver by a force applied by the fingers and thumb to the knurled head thereof.

-What I claim is:

1. In a headlight, the combination with a casing, of a reflector supported thereby and spaced therefrom, ota lamp socket pivotally supported from said reflector and projecting into the space between said reflector and casllt ing, and an electro-magnet for oscillating said socket supported entirely from the back of said reflector, said magnet and the pivotal connection between said socket and reflector being unaffected by movement of said casing in respect to said reflector.

2. In a headlight, the combination with a reflector and a lamp socket pivotally mounted for movements in respect to the axis of said reflector and having at the rear of its pivot an element serving as an armature, upper and lower lock levers operative to hold said socket, respectively, in lowered and raised positions, and upper and lower electromagnets operative, the former to release said upper lock and raise said socket, and the latter to release said lower lock and, lower said socket.

3. In a headlight, the combination with a reflector, of a lamp socket having at its front end means for holding a light bulb within said reflector, said socket being mounted for vertical pivotal movements so as to carry the filament of said bulb to and from the axis of said reflector, and having-an armature at the rear of its pivot, and upper and lower electro-magjnets operative on said armature and having pole pieces of the same form as the engaging surfaces of said armature.

4. In a headlight, the combination with a reflector, of a lamp socket having at its front end means for holding a light bulb within said reflector, said socket being pivoted for vertical movements and having an armature at the rear of its pivot, of upper and lower electro-magnets cooperating with said armature to raise and lower said socket, and an anchored spring connected to said socket and normally holding the same in one extreme position when the magnets are deenergized, and locks for holding said socket in its two positions, which locks are arranged to be released, one by each of said magnets.

5. In a headlight, the combination with a reflectorand a lamp socket that is pivoted for vertical movement in respect to the axis thereof, of stops for limiting the upward and downward movements of said socket, upper and lower locks for securing said socket, respectively, in lowered and raised positions, lower and upper magnets. the formcr serving to release said lower lock and the latter serving to release said upper lock and raise said socket, and a spring normally holding said socket against said lower stop.

6. In a headlight, the combination with a reflector and a lamp socket that is pivoted for vertical movement in respectto the axis thereof, said socket havin lock detents on its opposite sides, upper ant lower lock levers having lock lugs at one end and armatures at the other other, said lock lugs being alternately engageable with the detents of said socket, upper and lower electro-magnets, the upper magnet being operative, first to release the upper lock and then to move said socket upward, and said lower magnet being operative, first to release said lower lock and then to move said socket downward.

7. In a headlight, the combination with a reflector, of a lamp socket that is movable vertically in respect to the axis thereof, of upper and lower electro-magnet-s operative on said socket, respectively, to move the same upward and downward, an electric light bulb carried by said socket, a source of electrical energy, a circuit including said source and said light bulb, and shunt circuits from the said light bulb circuit including said electro-magnets, said shunts having normally open, independently operable circuit closers.

8. In a headlight, the combination with a reflector and a lamp socket pivotally associated therewith, of an electro-magnet for moving said lamp socket, said magnet having a pole pieceserving as a stop to limit the movementof said socket toward said magnet, and one element of said socket serving as an armature upon which said electro1nagnet directly acts.

9. In a headlight, the combination with a reflector, of a pivotally mounted lamp supporting socket, one element of which serves as an armature, and an electro-magnet having a pole piece serving as a stop for limit- "1Ilg the movement of said armature toward said magnet, the stop surface of said pole piece having the same form as the engaging portion of the armature acting element of said socket. I

In. testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OVERTON WINSTON. Witnesses:

BERNICE G. W'HEELER, HARRY D. KILGORE. 

